Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report on the outcome of the Agriculture Council which took place in Luxembourg on 24 April 2001.

Ross Finnie: I, together with Nick Brown, MAFF Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, represented the UK at this meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers.

  We informed the Council of the actions taken to combat foot-and-mouth disease and explained that these measures are bringing about a significant decline in the number of new cases. The Council also heard reports on FMD from the Commission and from the Dutch Agriculture Minister. In response to a UK/Dutch initiative there was a collective agreement to hold a conference later in the year to discuss the lessons to be learned from the outbreaks.

  The Council also heard a report from the Commission on the results of the EU-wide testing programme for BSE, and agreed conclusions inviting the Standing Veterinary Committee to extend the temporary ban on meat and bone meal beyond the end of June. With the support of several other member states, the UK secured agreement from the Commission that they would re-examine the use of fishmeal in ruminant feed in the light of their current evaluation of cross contamination risks.

  Turning to market-related measures, the Council considered a compromise text from the Presidency and Commission on reform of the EU sugar regime, extending the duration of the quota system for a further four years but with a review before end-2002. Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark and the UK were able to support this compromise, but others were strongly opposed. The issue will be re-examined in May.

  The Council reached unanimous agreement on measures to reform the cotton regime, within strict budgetary limits. The Council also adopted by qualified majority a proposal to permit organic producers to grow fodder legumes on set aside land; only France abstained in the vote on this small but worthwhile measure.

  The Council agreed conclusions on the integration of environmental concerns into the common agricultural policy; these will form part of a report on environmental sustainability going to EU Heads of Government in June. The Commission also reported to the Council progress with the setting up of the proposed European Food Authority.

Earth Summit

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be represented at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg in the summer of 2002.

Ross Finnie: Yes.

Education

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the revised 5-14 Guidelines for modern languages.

Mr Jack McConnell: The revised guidelines will be distributed to schools before the summer break.

Enterprise

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many expressions of interest it had received in respect of taking over the Motorola site at Bathgate as at 26 April 2001, and when the details of those interested parties were given to Motorola.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Motorola has submitted, for formal consultation, a proposal to cease operations at Easter Inch.

  A number of initial expressions of interest in the facility have been received by the Executive and by Scottish Enterprise.

  Should the current proposal to close this facility be ratified the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise will work jointly with the company on the marketing of the site to attract new jobs to the area.

Enterprise

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise spent on management consultants in relation to matters of internal organisation in each year since 1997 and what the anticipated expenditure is anticipated on this until 2003.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This is an operational matter for both Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I have asked the Chairmen of both organisations to write to the member direct. A copy of the replies will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Enterprise

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit was of any management consultants involved in considering the internal organisation of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in each year since 1997.

Ms Wendy Alexander: No consultants have been engaged since 1997 by either the Scottish Office or the Scottish Executive to consider the internal organisation of either Highlands and Islands Enterprise or Scottish Enterprise.

  The employment of such consultants by the bodies themselves is an operational matter and I have asked the Chairmen of both organisations to write to the member direct. A copy of the replies will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Environment

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage the provision of urban green space and to improve its management.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has given a commitment to produce a Planning Advice Note on open space (civic space and greenspace) to complement the guidance in National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 11: Sport, Physical Recreation and Open Space. The PAN will take account of recently published research and cover issues such as maintenance, management and the mechanisms for securing quality open space.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to ensure that farm animals are killed with the minimum of distress in compliance with the Restrictions on Pithing (Scotland) Regulations 2001 (SSI 2001/73).

Ross Finnie: The Food Standards Agency enforces these Regulations.

  I am advised by the agency that officials were aware of the need for urgent guidance to address the important issues of animal welfare and operator safety. Detailed guidance notes developed by the Humane Slaughter Association were issued to abattoirs and industry representatives on how to satisfy animal welfare requirements. In addition, the Health and Safety Executive/Meat Trades Joint Working Party prepared guidance which includes further information on structural and operational changes to help operators comply with the regulations.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any code of practice on animal welfare is being operated during the current foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and, if so, whether it will give details.

Ross Finnie: No such code exists. Normal laws apply whereby farmers are responsible for the welfare of their livestock.

General Practitioners

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage the establishment of a network of GPs interested in sports medicine.

Susan Deacon: Together with the other home country and UK sports councils,  sportscotland is funding the National Sports Medicine Institute (NSMI) of the United Kingdom to develop a Register of Exercise & Sports Care: UK (RESCU). RESCU will identify a network of service providers, including GPs across the UK; will raise awareness among users of sports care services about practitioners with appropriate qualifications and experience, and will enable doctors interested in sports medicine to make contact with other practitioners who are also working in this area.

  RESCU has set clear and objective minimum entry requirements and has also identified suggested pathways for career development. RESCU will also utilise future accreditation schemes, such as any developed by the Inter-collegiate Academic Board of Sport & Exercise Medicine.

Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the report of the Scottish Breast Screening Development Task Group on the extension of the upper age limit for routine invitation for breast screening will be published.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Breast Screening Development Task Group’s Report was received on 6 April. A copy of the report has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. no. 13359) and will be placed on the SHOW website.

Legislation

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its reference to the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) requesting it to consider the provisions of the Damages (Scotland) Act 1976, which set out which relatives of a deceased person can claim non-patrimonial damages, and to make recommendations as to possible changes in the law, whether it will (a) indicate to the SLC that a brother or sister should be classed as immediate family with regard to claiming for loss of society and (b) support the extension of the definition of immediate family to include brother or sister in any report which the SLC produces.

Mr Jim Wallace: The terms of the reference to the Scottish Law Commission were set out in my reply to question S1W-15191 on 23 April. We did not think it right to fetter the discretion of the Commission to report as it thinks fit. We will consider its recommendations carefully and will pay close attention to any recommendation on the possible entitlement of brothers and sisters to claim for loss of society.

Local Government Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7769 by Mr Jack McConnell on 3 October 2000, how the expected £190 million saving in the amount of revenue support grant needed to make up the total aggregate external finance required by local authorities for 2000-01 due to the amount of non-domestic rating income distributed being higher than originally forecast was spent.

Angus MacKay: The £190 million saving remains unspent. As the then Minister for Finance said, the created provision will be used to cover requirements for additional RSG arising from the impact of the NDR appeals, and for other adjustments.

Local Government Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7769 by Mr Jack McConnell on 3 October 2000, whether the amount of revenue support grant needed to make up the total aggregate external finance required by local authorities for 2000-01 rose from the amount forecast at that time due to the impact of non-domestic rates appeals or as a result of any other adjustments and, if so, by how much.

Angus MacKay: The amounts of revenue support grant and Non-Domestic Rates Income (NDRI) distributed to councils in 2000-01 were determined in the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2000 and did not change as a result of movements in non-domestic rates yield. Any adjustments to the amount of NDRI available for distribution from the NDR pool will be made when actual NDR collection figures are available to be compared with the estimates used in setting the distributable amount for 2000-01.

Midwifery

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which institutions currently train midwives; how many midwives graduated from each institution in each of the last three years, and how many of these graduates subsequently obtained employment as midwives in the NHS.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is in the table below. However, the number of graduates finding employment in the NHS as midwives is not collected centrally.

  Midwifery Completions by Year of Completion

  


 


1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

All 3 years 
  



Institution 
  

3-year 
  

18-month 
  

Total 
  

3-year 
  

18-month 
  

Total 
  

3-year 
  

18-month 
  

Total 
  

3-year 
  

18-month 
  

Total 
  



Bell College 
  

16 
  

0 
  

16 
  

18 
  

0 
  

18 
  

17 
  

0 
  

17 
  

51 
  

0 
  

51 
  



Glasgow Caledonian University 
  

24 
  

0 
  

24 
  

19 
  

0 
  

19 
  

22 
  

7 
  

29 
  

65 
  

7 
  

72 
  



Napier University 
  

23 
  

28 
  

51 
  

23 
  

26 
  

49 
  

30 
  

14 
  

44 
  

76 
  

68 
  

144 
  



Robert Gordon University 
  

0 
  

20 
  

20 
  

0 
  

17 
  

17 
  

0 
  

17 
  

17 
  

0 
  

54 
  

54 
  



University of Dundee 
  

21 
  

0 
  

21 
  

22 
  

0 
  

22 
  

21 
  

0 
  

21 
  

64 
  

0 
  

64 
  



University of Paisley 
  

31 
  

15 
  

46 
  

27 
  

6 
  

33 
  

28 
  

8 
  

36 
  

86 
  

29 
  

115 
  



University of Stirling 
  

13 
  

13 
  

26 
  

16 
  

11 
  

27 
  

16 
  

11 
  

27 
  

45 
  

35 
  

80 
  



Total 
  

128 
  

76 
  

204 
  

125 
  

60 
  

185 
  

134 
  

57 
  

191 
  

387 
  

193 
  

580 
  



  Source: NBS Statistical Supplement to Annual Report 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000.

Midwifery

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what number of midwives each NHS Trust specified as its desired establishment level and how many midwives each trust actually had in post, in each of the last three years.

Susan Deacon: Information on the establishment level of midwives for each NHS Trust is not available centrally. Following Trust reconfiguration in 1999, the numbers of whole-time equivalent midwives in post at 30 September 1999 and 2000 are shown in the table below.

  Midwives employed in NHSScotland by Trust

  Staff in Post at 30 September 1999 and 2000

  Whole-time equivalent

  


 


1999 
  

2000P




Scotland 
  

2,962.8 
  

2,927.3 
  



Argyll & Clyde Acute Trust 
  

208.9 
  

204.6 
  



Ayrshire & Arran Acute Trust 
  

213.8 
  

211.1 
  



Ayrshire & Arran PCT 
  

3.6 
  

1.0 
  



Borders General NHS Trust 
  

40.5 
  

45.4 
  



Borders PCT 
  

29.0 
  

27.7 
  



Dumfries and Galloway Acute & Maternity 
  

87.4 
  

99.1 
  



Dumfries & Galloway PCT 
  

25.0 
  

14.9 
  



Fife Acute Trust 
  

147.1 
  

153.3 
  



Fife PCT 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Forth Valley Acute Trust 
  

163.7 
  

163.3 
  



Forth Valley PCT 
  

5.4 
  

5.4 
  



Grampian PCT 
  

83.9 
  

87.6 
  



Grampian University Hospitals 
  

224.6 
  

225.6 
  



Greater Glasgow PCT 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Highland Acute Trust 
  

92.8 
  

96.8 
  



Highland PCT 
  

121.0 
  

110.8 
  



Lanarkshire Acute Trust 
  

249.8 
  

248.7 
  



Lanarkshire PCT 
  

15.8 
  

12.6 
  



Lomond & Argyll PCT 
  

51.8 
  

48.6 
  



Lothian PCT 
  

1.0 
  

- 
  



Lothian University Hospitals 
  

256.0 
  

258.5 
  



North Glasgow University Hospitals 
  

221.5 
  

210.9 
  



Orkney 
  

16.9 
  

16.8 
  



Renfrew & Inverclyde PCT 
  

- 
  

1.0 
  



South Glasgow University Hospitals 
  

146.5 
  

145.7 
  



Shetland 
  

31.2 
  

28.6 
  



Tayside PCT 
  

39.5 
  

14.8 
  



Tayside University Hospitals 
  

210.2 
  

219.4 
  



West Lothian Healthcare 
  

83.1 
  

86.6 
  



Western Isles 
  

33.9 
  

30.6 
  



Yorkhill Trust 
  

158.9 
  

157.7 
  



  Source: National Manpower Statistics from Payroll, ISD Scotland.

  P Provisional.

NHS Equipment

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether sufficient supplies of instruments needed to carry out tonsillectomies are available to deal with the number of patients on waiting lists in each health board area.

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who supplies the instruments needed to carry out tonsillectomies and what the average time from initial order to delivery of stock is in each health board area.

Susan Deacon: Sufficient stocks of reusable instruments are available but, with the reported risk of surgical transmission of vCJD, ENT surgeons decided to wait until supplies of single-use equipment are more readily available unless, in their professional judgment, the delay presented a significantly high degree of patient risk.

  A contract for the future provision of single-use tonsillectomy instruments was placed for all UK Health Departments at the end of April. It followed a competitive tendering exercise that included extensive field testing of equipment by ENT specialists across the UK. The suppliers will be Rocialle Medical and Trust Sterile Services. Supplies will come on stream this month and will rise progressively to meet the projected level of monthly demand by July.

  Scottish Healthcare Supplies have led for Scottish procurement interests, and are currently working with the suppliers and Scottish Trusts to secure an appropriate and timeous distribution of initial supplies.

NHS Equipment

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which health boards have supplies of single-use tonsillectomy instruments in stock; which health boards have no such supplies, and when any health boards without supplies will receive supplies of these instruments.

Susan Deacon: Stocks of surgical instruments are, apart from the island health boards, held by individual NHS Trusts, from whom information on supply levels is not routinely collected.

  A contract for the future provision of single-use tonsillectomy instruments was placed for all UK Health Departments at the end of April. Scottish Healthcare Supplies, a Division of the Common Services Agency, led for Scottish procurement interests and are currently working with the appointed suppliers and Scottish Trusts to secure an appropriate and timeous distribution of initial supplies. Supplies will come on stream this month and will rise to meet the projected level of monthly demand by July.

NHS Staff

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the statement by an Executive spokesperson that the number of qualified frontline NHS staff has risen since 1996, as reported on the BBC News website on 27 April 2001, what criteria are used to define staff as frontline; whether any nurses or midwives are not regarded as frontline staff and, if so, what term or terms are used to describe such staff.

Susan Deacon: Frontline is not a term which is defined.

  The 27 April statement was based on figures for all qualified nurses and midwives.

NHS Waiting Times

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average NHSiS waiting time is for the provision of a wheelchair, broken down by local authority area.

Susan Deacon: There is currently no national data available regarding waiting times for the provision of wheelchairs. The answers given to questions S1W-6954 and S1W-14400 gave details of NHSScotland’s initiative to address this.

  An initial progress report from the Rehabilitation Technology Information Service (ReTIS) last month shows that significant progress has been made on the setting up of the systems for the collection and collation of data for wheelchairs, prosthetics, orthotics and electronic assistive technology. The system is not yet fully developed and it may be several months before it is possible to provide details on the waiting times in each health board area.

Nuclear Power

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any planning or land use policies relating to the location and development of the nuclear industry in Scotland; when these policies were adopted and last reviewed, and whether the policy framework generally supports the development of new or replacement nuclear-powered electricity generating facilities.

Rhona Brankin: Applications for consent for any new electricity generation plants over 50MW in capacity are considered by Scottish Ministers under the Electricity Act 1989, rather than under Town and Country Planning legislation. Any application for a new nuclear power station would be considered in this way, and therefore the series of National Planning Policy Guidelines does not include any advice on the development or location of such power stations.

  Our broad energy policy is to ensure secure, diverse, sustainable supplies of energy at competitive prices. As with other forms of generation, it would be for nuclear generators to bring forward proposals for new nuclear plant if they regarded the technology to be competitive with other forms of electricity generation.

Police

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to privatise any aspect of Scotland’s frontline police operations.

Mr Jim Wallace: No. Trained civilians are already employed within the police service in Scotland in certain well-defined roles to support the work of the police. Deployments along these lines will continue where they are appropriate.

Public Transport

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop tram or light railway schemes in the Greater Glasgow area.

Sarah Boyack: The development of local transport initiatives such as tram or light rail projects is the responsibility of the relevant local authorities, or in the case of the Strathclyde area, the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority (SPTA). Public transport proposals such as these may be eligible for financial assistance under the Public Transport Fund (PTF) or the Integrated Transport Fund (ITF). At present there are no proposals for tram or light rail before the Executive.

Renewable Energy

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current capacity is of electricity generated from renewable sources, whether this capacity will need to increase to meet the Scottish Renewables Obligation target of 18% of electricity produced from renewable sources by 2010 and, if so, by how much in each year.

Rhona Brankin: At present, around 11% of Scottish electricity demand is met from Scotland’s established hydro schemes. We expect that projects awarded contracts under the previous Scottish Renewables Obligation, once more are built over the next two years, will raise the portion of Scottish electricity supply accounted for by renewable energy to around 13% by 2003.

  We intend, under the new Renewables Obligation (Scotland), that this figure should increase by a further 5%, to 18% by 2010. Decisions on the yearly profile of the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) target will be taken in due course.

Renewable Energy

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what CO 2  emission savings it estimates will be delivered in each year as a result of meeting the Scottish Renewables Obligation target of 18% of electricity produced from renewable sources by 2010.

Rhona Brankin: Our target of 18% of Scottish electricity supply to be accounted for by renewable energy will be achieved by the new Renewables Obligation (Scotland). Resultant CO 2 savings will vary depending on the fuel source of the generation displaced by the increased renewable energy which we expect the ROS to stimulate, but we expect them to be in the range of 660 to 1,950 kilotonnes by 2010.

  Further research on Scottish emissions projections is being undertaken as part of the Scottish Climate Change Programme.

Renewable Energy

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to encourage the development of renewable energy projects after 2010 to achieve targets beyond those under the Scottish Renewables Obligation.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Renewables Obligation will remain in place until 2015, while the new Renewables Obligation (Scotland) will remain in place until March 2026. The latter obligation on all electricity suppliers will be for a specified proportion of their total electricity supply, so the amount of renewable energy needed to meet it will grow if the electricity market as a whole increases.

Renewable Energy

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what baseline data it used in terms of the capacity and supply of electricity from different methods of generation, including renewables, when developing the Scottish Renewables Obligation targets and what its most up-to-date information is on the current levels of electricity generation and demand to inform these targets.

Rhona Brankin: The target set for the Scottish Renewables Obligation (SRO) in 1994 was to support the development of 150 megawatts of new renewable electricity generation capacity. The latest projections from the energy regulator (Ofgem Scotland), based on feedback from SRO developers, indicate that this target should be achieved by 2003.

  The new Renewables Obligation (Scotland), or ROS, will place an obligation on all electricity suppliers to have a rising proportion of their electricity accounted for by renewable sources. We intend to use the ROS to raise this proportion from around 13% in 2003 to 18% by 2010, a similar increase to that planned for the UK as a whole. Previous studies have indicated that there is enough potential renewable energy in Scotland to meet economically the 2010 target, even allowing for growth in Scottish demand.

Residential Care

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many refuges exist for sixteen-year-olds who run away from home, broken down by local authority.

Nicol Stephen: This information is not held centrally, but the Social Work Information Review Group will consider collecting data on refuges as part of the current data standards review. The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 gives local authorities powers to provide short-term refuge for children who appear to be at risk of harm and who request refuge. Refuge may be provided in a local authority home, a home run by a voluntary or private agency or by a foster carer. In all cases the refuge must be designated as suitable by the local authority.

Scottish Executive Publications

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that all reports which are referred to in Executive press releases are available to Members of the Scottish Parliament before any press statements are made to allow them sufficient opportunity to prepare comment on the contents of such reports.

Mr Tom McCabe: All reports from the Scottish Executive are placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre on publication. It is for individual MSPs to decide for themselves how they prepare any comment but if Mr Ewing has a particular case in mind I would be happy to discuss it with him.

Sensory Impaired People

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the recommendations made in the Scottish Office Social Work Services Inspectorate’s 1998 Report, Sense and Progress , are carried out.

Nicol Stephen: In examining services for the Chief Social Work Inspector’s Annual Report for 2002, officials will seek up to date information on local progress in implementing the recommendations of Sensing Progress .

  A working group consisting of representatives from various deaf/blind organisations and appropriate officials has been set up under the auspices of the Equality Unit. The aim is to look at a positive way forward in identifying the various cross-cutting issues facing people with sensory impairment.

  The working group on certification and registration in relation to people with visual impairment has produced its report, which is now being considered by ministers.

Sport

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12583 by Allan Wilson on 4 April 2001, what type of assistance it, its agencies or  sportscotland are providing to the Scottish Football Association in relation to the feasibility study into the possible staging of the 2008 European Nations Football Championships in Scotland.

Allan Wilson: Contributions towards the costs of the feasibility study were provided by Scottish Enterprise, VisitScotland,  sportscotland and UK Sport.

Student Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11693 by Mr Alasdair Morrison on 30 March 2001, how endowment payments will be collected from EU students who leave the UK after graduating and go to work elsewhere.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: EU nationals who leave the UK after graduating will be subject to the same collection arrangements as are used at present for Scottish graduates who leave the UK after graduating. There are procedures currently in place for the Student Loans Company to collect payments directly from graduates who are outwith the UK tax system because they live and work abroad. Under this system, graduates must provide details of their annual income to the company who will then issue a payment schedule. The company may apply penalty interest charges if payments are not made or information not supplied when required.

Traffic

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the most recent traffic studies were carried out in connection with the Strathclyde Regional Council (Dalblair Road/Miller Road/Racecourse Road, Ayr Traffic Management) Compulsory Purchase Order 1991.

Sarah Boyack: Traffic studies in Ayr are a matter for South Ayrshire Council as Roads Authority and promoters of the Compulsory Purchase Order. I understand, however, that the most recent traffic studies were carried out in 1997. South Ayrshire Council confirmed in November 2000 that those studies remain current.

Traffic

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the most recent consultation on the Strathclyde Regional Council (Dalblair Road/Miller Road/Racecourse Road, Ayr Traffic Management) Compulsory Purchase Order 1991 was carried out, who was consulted and whether it has plans for a further consultation period.

Sarah Boyack: Compulsory Purchase Procedure is statutorily prescribed. The main legislation is the Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) (Scotland) Act 1947 and the Compulsory Purchase of Land (Scotland) Regulations 1976. The 1976 Regulations prescribe that notice shall be served on all owners, occupiers and lessees of the land to be acquired. Further, the proposed order is required to be advertised on consecutive weeks in a newspaper circulating in the area of the land to be acquired.

  Although there is no prescribed consultation procedure, there is a statutory period for the submission of objections to the Scottish Ministers as confirming authority. Any objections are considered in the overall context of the compulsory purchase order. Objections were received to this compulsory purchase order and these are presently being considered by the Scottish Ministers.

  In addition, last month, further final representations were sought and received from objectors and current owners, lessees and occupiers of the land comprised in the compulsory purchase order. These are also currently being considered by the Scottish Executive.

Traffic

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any studies exist to suggest that traffic is moving satisfactorily in Ayr in the absence of the Dalblair–Miller Road link and whether the proposed link is still regarded as an essential component of a traffic strategy for the town centre.

Sarah Boyack: Traffic studies in Ayr are a matter for South Ayrshire Council as Roads Authority and promoters of the Compulsory Purchase Order. In November 2000, they advised the Scottish Executive that the "link road" was identified as an integral part of the Ayr Town Centre Traffic Plan in 1989 and that the potential traffic flows in the area have not changed since.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Scottish Parliament Publications

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer why the official reports for meetings of committees of the Parliament are not published within seven days of a committee’s last meeting and how the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will ensure that committee members and interested parties have the Official Report before a committee’s next meeting to allow all evidence to be considered.

Sir David Steel: The Official Report makes every effort to meet its target of publishing committee Official Reports  as quickly as possible and to agreed deadlines. The date of the next meeting is the first determinant of priority.

  The importance of timely publication is appreciated, but there are periods of more intense committee activity when the number, frequency and/or duration of meetings exceed the capacity to produce the Official Report in time for a committee’s next meeting. To address such situations, the following order of prioritisation was devised by the directorate of clerking and reporting and endorsed by the conveners group in April:

  Stage 2: Executive bills

  Stage 2: non-Executive bills (including committee bills and members’ bills)

  Consideration stage: private bills

  Major inquiry (e.g. SQA)

  Evidence at stage 1: Executive bills

  Evidence at stage 1: non-Executive bills (including committee bills and members’ bills)

  Preliminary stage: private bills

  Other evidence

  Details of publication dates are in the official report’s production schedule, which is available on SPEIR and updated daily.

  There were 120 committee meetings in the 12 weeks between the Christmas and Easter recesses: the Official Reports of all 120 were produced in time for the next meeting of the committee. There have been 59 meetings in the four weeks from 23 April to 18 May, during which time there was a heavy schedule of stage 2 meetings. The public holidays on 7 and 28 May cause significant delays in publication, but some Official Report staff will be working on the privilege holiday on 25 May to reduce the backlog.

  The SPCB addressed official report resourcing in February 2000. The consequential recruitment and training processes are on target to be completed by September.